New Geeky Shows To Look Out For Coming To The UK In 2019
Whilst 2018 was a great year for geek tv, 2019 will see an explosion of new sci-fi, comic book and fantasy shows added to the growing collection we already have. Next year sees the return of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’, ‘The Orville’, ‘Lucifer’, a final season of ‘Gotham’, and (possibly) final outings of ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘The Punisher’, to name but a few. Rather than focus on returning shows, I thought it would be good to highlight some of the new geeky dramas to watch out for in the next 12 months. See the list below.
Titans, Season 1 – Netflix – 11 January 2019
DC’s long-awaited ‘Titans‘ series finally comes to Netflix in January. The 11 episode live-action drama series that follows a group of young soon-to-be Super Heroes recruited from every corner of the DC Universe. In this action-packed series, Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites – ‘Home & Away’, ‘Maleficent’) emerges from the shadows to become the leader of a fearless band of new heroes, including Starfire (Anna Diop – ’24: Legacy’), Raven (Teagan Croft – ‘Home and Away’, ‘The Osiris Child’), Beast Boy (Ryan Potter – ‘Big Hero 6’), Hawk (Alan Ritchson – ‘Smallville’) and Dove(Minka Kelly – ‘Friday Night Lights’). Alone they’re broken, but together they’re Titans.
The Umbrella Academy, Season 1 – Netflix – 15 February 2019
https://youtu.be/LMeqY7ogdF8
On the same day in 1989, forty-three infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before. Seven are adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves, a billionaire industrialist, who creates The Umbrella Academy and prepares his “children” to save the world. But not everything went according to plan. In their teenage years, the family fractured and the team disbanded. Now, the six surviving thirty-something members reunite upon the news of Hargreeve’s passing. Luther (Tom Hopper – ‘Merlin’, ‘Black Sails’), Diego (David Castañeda – ‘Jane the Virgin’), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman – ‘Hamilton’), Klaus (Robert Sheehan – ‘Misfits’, ‘Fortitude’), Vanya (Ellen Page – ‘X-Men’, ‘Inception’) and Number Five (Aidan Gallagher – ‘Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn’) work together to solve a mystery surrounding their father’s death. But the estranged family once again begins to come apart due to their divergent personalities and abilities, not to mention the imminent threat of a global apocalypse. Based on the popular, Eisner award-winning comics and graphic novels created and written by Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance).
The Boys, Season 1 – Amazon Prime – 2019
Based on the Garth Ennis comic book, ‘The Boys’ looks at what happens when superheroes – who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians and as revered as Gods – abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. It’s the powerless against the super powerful as The Boys embark on a heroic quest to expose the truth about ‘The Seven,’ and Vought, the multi-billion dollar conglomerate that manages these superheroes. “The Boys” consist of Billy Butcher (Karl Urban – ‘Star Trek’, ‘Dredd’), The Frenchman – aka Frenchie (Tomer Capon – ‘Hostages’, ‘Fauda’), Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso – ‘The Mysteries of Laura’, ‘Deception’), The Female (Karen Fukuhara – ‘Suicide Squad’) and new recruit Wee Hughie (Jack Quaid – ‘The Hunger Games’, Vinyl’). “The Seven” are played by Antony Starr (‘Banshee’) as Homelander, with Nathan Mitchell (‘iZombie’) as Black Noir, Dominique McElligott (‘House of Cards’) as Queen Maeve, Erin Moriarty (‘Jessica Jones’) as Starlight, and Chace Crawford (‘Gossip Girl’) as The Deep. ‘Timeless’ & ‘Supernatural’ creator Eric Kripke is writing the show with Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen (‘Preacher’) directing.
Good Omens – Amazon Prime – Spring 2019
https://youtu.be/2ZSXlNRRoGU
Michael Sheen stars as the somewhat fussy angel and rare book dealer Aziraphale, and David Tennant plays his opposite number, the fast-living demon Crowley, both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and of each other. So it’s really terrible news for both of them that, if Heaven and Hell have their way, the world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis has risen, tempers are flaring. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are ready to ride. Everything appears to be going according to the Divine Plan. Except that someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist…
The Witcher, Season 1 – Netflix – 2019
Based on the best-selling fantasy series, ‘The Witcher’ is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia (Cavill), a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together. Cavill is joined in the cast by Freya Allan (‘The War of the Worlds’, ‘Into The Badlands’) who plays the role of Ciri, Princess of Cintra, and Anya Chalotra (‘The ABC Murders’, ‘Wanderlust’) who takes the role of the sorceress Yennefer. Other cast includes Jodhi May (‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Genius’) as Queen Calanthe, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson (‘Fortitude’) as the knight Eist, Adam Levy (‘Knightfall’, ‘Snatch’) as the druid Mousesack, Mimi Ndiweni (‘Black Earth Rising’) as Fringilla, Therica Wilson-Read (‘Profile’) as Sabrina, and Millie Brady (‘The Last Kingdom’, ‘Teen Spirit’) as the outcast Princess Renfri.
Watchmen, Season 1 – Sky Atlantic – 2019
Based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal graphic novel, the series is set in an alternate reality where superheroes exist but are treated as outlaws. The drama will not be a direct adaptation of the comic books, but a “remixed” version. The new show will use the original book as it’s “Old Testament”, but create a new, more contemporary story. The show comes from Damon Lindelof (‘Lost’, The Leftovers’) and stars Tom Mison (‘Sleepy Hollow’), Jeremy Irons (‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’), Regina King (‘The Leftovers’), Don Johnson (‘Miami Vice’), Tim Blake Nelson (‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’), Louis Gossett Jr. (‘Hap and Leonard’, ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’), Jean Smart (‘Legion’, ‘Fargo’, ’24’), Adelaide Clemens (‘Rectify’) Frances Fisher (‘Masters of Sex’), Jacob Ming-Trent (‘SuperFly’) and Andrew Howard (‘Hell on Wheels’).
His Dark Materials, Season 1 – BBC One – 2019
Based on Philip Pullman’s acclaimed novel series, Dafne Keen (Logan’, ‘The Refugees’) stars as Lyra, the young protagonist who lives in Jordan College, Oxford. Placed there at the request of her Uncle, Lord Asriel (James McAvoy – ‘X-Men’ films, ‘Atonement’) she lives a sheltered life amongst the scholars and college staff while under the watchful protection of The Master (Clarke Peters – ‘The Wire’) and Librarian Scholar Charles (Ian Gelder – ‘Game of Thrones’). When the glamorous and mesmeric Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson – ‘Luther’) enters Lyra’s life she embarks upon a dangerous journey of discovery from Oxford to London. Here she meets Father MacPhail (Will Keen – ‘The Crown’), Lord Boreal (Ariyon Bakare – ‘Tyrant’) and journalist Adele Starminster (Georgina Campbell – ‘Krypton’) at a glittering society party where she first hears about the sinister General Oblation Board. Lyra is subsequently thrown into the nomadic world of the boat-dwelling Gyptians – Ma Costa (Anne-Marie Duff – ‘Shameless’), Farder Coram (James Cosmo – ‘SS-GB’), John Faa (Lucian Msamati – ‘Taboo’), Raymond Van Geritt (Mat Fraser – ‘American Horror Story’), Jack Verhoeven (Geoff Bell – ‘The Level’) and Benjamin de Ruyter (Simon Manyonda – ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’) who take her North in her quest.
Snowpiercer, Season 1 – Netflix – 2019
Set seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, ‘Snowpiercer’ centres on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe. Class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival are questioned in this riveting television adaptation. The series is based on the acclaimed movie of the same name. Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly (‘A Beautiful Mind’, and the upcoming ‘Top Gun: Maverick’) and Tony Award winner Daveed Diggs (‘Black-ish’, ‘The Get Down’) lead the cast which also includes Alison Wright (‘The Accountant’), Mickey Sumner (‘American Made’), Katie McGuinness (‘Dirty Filthy Love’), Susan Park (‘Ghostbusters’), Tony Award winner and Grammy nominee Lena Hall (‘All My Children’), Annalise Basso (‘Bedtime Stories’), Sam Otto (‘Jellyfish’), Sheila Vand (‘Argo’), Roberto Urbina (‘Narcos’) and Sasha Frolova (‘The Interestings’).
V-Wars, Season 1 – Netflix – 2019
‘V-Wars’ stars ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Ian Somerhalder as Dr Luther Swann, who finds himself in a world of untold horror when a millennia-old bacteria transforms his best friend, Michael Fayne (Adrian Holmes – ‘Arrow’, ‘Continuum’), into a murderous predator who feeds on other humans. The disease starts to spread transforming more people and fracturing society into opposing camps. On one side the “normal” humans, on the other, a growing number of “vampires”. Swann must race against time to understand what is happening while Fayne rises to become the powerful underground leader of his new brethren. Laura Vandervoort (‘Smallville’ ‘Bitten’), Kyle Breitkopf (‘The Whispers’), Kimberly-Sue Murray (‘Crimson Peak’) and Jacky Lai (‘Beyond’) also star.
Daybreak, Season 1 – Netflix – 2019
Described as a subversive dark comedy, the series follows 17-year-old high school outcast, Josh, as he searches for his missing girlfriend, Sam, in post-apocalyptic Glendale, California. Joined by a ragtag group of misfits including a pyromaniac 12 year old Angelica and Josh’s former high school bully Wesley, now turned pacifist samurai, Josh tries to stay alive amongst the horde of Mad Max-style gangs (evil jocks, cheerleaders turned Amazon warriors), zombie-like creatures called Ghoulies, and everything else this brave new world throws at him. The show is co-created by Aron Eli Coleite (‘Locke & Key’, ‘Star Trek: Discovery’, ‘Heroes’) who will serve as showrunner and Brad Peyton (‘Frontier’, ‘Rampage’) who will direct the series. Coleite and Peyton will also exec produce alongside Jeff Fierson (‘Frontier’, ‘Rampage’) through ASAP Entertainment.
Carnival Row, Season 1 – Amazon Prime – 2019
Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne headline the cast of this fantasy-noir set in a neo-Victorian city. Mythical creatures fleeing their war-torn homeland have gathered in the city, and tensions are simmering between citizens and the growing immigrant population. The series follows the investigation of a string of unsolved murders that are eating away at whatever uneasy peace still exists. The series is created by René Echevarria (‘The 4400’, ‘Terra Nova’) and Travis Beacham (‘Pacific Rim’, ‘Electric Dreams’) and directed by Jon Amiel (‘The Borgias’, ‘The Singing Detective’).
Devs, Season 1 – BBC – 2019
‘Devs’ comes from ‘The Beach’, ‘Dredd’ and ‘Ex Machina’ writer/director Alex Garland. The story is based around a young computer engineer called Lily (Sonoya Mizuno – ‘Ex Machina’, ‘Maniac’) who is investigating a secretive development division of her employer. She works for Amaya, a cutting-edge tech company based in San Francisco, which she believes is behind the disappearance of her boyfriend (Jin Ha – ‘Jesus Christ Superstar Live’). Nick Offerman (‘Parks and Recreation’), Stephen McKinley Henderson (‘Ladybird’, ‘Manchester by the Sea’), Alison Pill (‘The Newsroom’, ‘American Horror Story’), and Cailee Spaeny (‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’) also star.
Locke & Key, Season 1 – Netflix – 2019
‘Locke & Key’ is a horror/fantasy series that revolves around three siblings who, after the gruesome murder of their father, move to their ancestral home in Massachusetts only to find the house has magical keys that give them a vast array of powers and abilities. Little do they know, a devious demon also wants the keys, and will stop at nothing to attain them. The show is being written by Joe Hill who co-created the origin comic book with Gabriel Rodriguez. Carlton Cuse (‘The Strain’, ‘Bates Motel’, ‘Colony’, ‘Lost’) and Meredith Averill (‘Jane the Virgin’, ‘The Good Wife’) will serve as showrunners, and will exec produce alongside Hill.
The Nevers, Season 1 – Sky Atlantic – 2019
Written, directed, and produced by head-geek Joss Whedon (‘Buffy’, ‘Angel’, Firefly’, ‘Avengers’), this epic sci-fi drama which follows a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world. Whedon will also serve as showrunner, and marks his first return to full-time tv production since ‘Dollhouse’.
Utopia (Amazon Remake), Season 1 – 2019
Based on the British series of the same name written by Dennis Kelly, this new version comes from award-winning Gillian Flynn, the best-selling author and screenwriter of Golden Globe-nominated ‘Gone Girl’ and HBO’s highly anticipated ‘Sharp Objects’. The story follows a group of young adults, who meet online but are mercilessly hunted by a shadowy deep state organisation after they come into possession of a near-mythical, cult, underground graphic novel. They discover the conspiracy theories in the comic’s pages may actually be real and are forced into the dangerous, unique and ironic position of saving the world.
What We Do In The Shadows, Season 1 – BBC – 2019
From executive producers Jemaine Clement (‘Flight of the Conchords’), Taika Waititi (‘Thor: Ragnarok’) and Paul Simms (‘Atlanta’) with Academy Award-winner Scott Rudin, this comedy series set in New York City follows three vampires who have been roommates for hundreds and hundreds of years trying to cope in the modern world. The series stars Bafta winner Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen and Mark Proksch. The 10-episode comedy is produced by FX Productions and Scott Rudin Productions and scheduled to debut next spring. Based on Waititi & Clement’s 2014 movie of the same name.
